RTL 4
| closed date = | picture format = 1080i HDTV | share = 12.0% | share as of = 2018 | share source = SKO | network = RTL Nederland (2004-present) Holland Media Groep (1996-2004) RTL 4 S.A. (1990-1996) | owner = RTL Group | slogan = "Natuurlijk bij RTL 4" ( ) | country = Netherlands Luxembourg | broadcast area = Netherlands Luxembourg | headquarters = Hilversum, Netherlands | former names = RTL Véronique (1989-1990) RTL4 Veronique (1990) | replaced names = | sister names = RTL 5 RTL 7 RTL 8 RTL Z RTL Lounge RTL Crime RTL Telekids | timeshift names = | web = | terr serv 1 = Digitenne | terr chan 1 = Channel 4 (HD) | terr serv 2 = DTT (Luxembourg) | terr chan 2 = 498 MHz (SD) | sat serv 1 = Canal Digitaal | sat chan 1 = Channel 4 (HD) | sat serv 2 = Joyne | sat chan 2 = Channel 4 (HD) | cable serv 1 = Ziggo | cable chan 1 = Channel 4 (HD) Channel 928 (SD) | cable serv 2 = Caiway | cable chan 2 = Channel 4 (HD) | cable serv 3 = DELTA | cable chan 3 = Channel 4 (HD) | cable serv 4 = Kabel Noord | cable chan 4 = Channel 4 (HD) | iptv serv 1 = KPN | iptv chan 1 = Channel 4 (HD) | iptv serv 2 = Tele2 Netherlands | iptv chan 2 = Channel 4 (HD) | iptv serv 3 = T-Mobile Netherlands | iptv chan 3 = Channel 4 (HD) | online serv 1 = Ziggo GO | online chan 1 = ZiggoGO.tv (Europe only) | online serv 2 = KPN iTV Online | online chan 2 = Watch live (Europe only) }} RTL 4 (Radio Télévision Luxembourg 4) is a Dutch free-to-air television channel; it is the most-watched commercial station in the country, popular especially with those aged between 20 and 49. RTL 4 is a general entertainment channel with infotainment, television drama, talk shows, game shows, news and talent shows. It is owned by RTL Nederland, a subsidiary of RTL Group. The station has three sister TV channels: RTL 5, RTL 7 and RTL 8, and four thematic TV channels: RTL Z, RTL Lounge, RTL Crime and RTL Telekids. Officially RTL 4 - along with RTL 5, RTL 7 and RTL 8 - is headquartered in Hilversum, broadcasting under a Luxembourg TV license. This allows them to avoid more strict control by the Dutch media authorities as Luxembourg's television watchdog is less strict. History It originally launched on the Astra 1A satellite as RTL Véronique on 2 October 1989, before re-branding as RTL 4 the next year. 1, 2 and 3 were already used by the Netherlands' public broadcasters. It was one of the first private commercial broadcaster in the Netherlands. Officially, it still broadcasts from Luxembourg. Private broadcasters were not allowed in the Netherlands until 1992. The encryption system employed by both RTL 4 and 5 analogue services whilst on the Astra 1A and 1C satellites was Luxcrypt. This standard was employed in order to protect the distribution rights sold by foreign studios to RTL. Programmes in another language are carried with Dutch subtitles and aren't dubbed. RTL 4 broadcasts the first and the longest running soap of the Netherlands, Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden (since 1 October 1990). RTL 4's latest radical change of programming was on 18 August 2007 when RTL obtained the soccer rights (Eredivisie) but lost the rights to the NOS the following year. In 2008 RTL 4 went back to its roots as a family entertainment channel with programmes such as Idols, X Factor, Dancing with the Stars and Dancing on Ice. That year RTL 4 also launched Ik Hou Van Holland, a quiz-show around and about the Netherlands with Linda De Mol. From 2009 the talent shows are playing a major role in the programming of RTL 4, the X-Factor has been rescheduled successfully to Friday night with higher ratings in Season 2 (2009) and Season 3 (2010) on Fridays. In 2010, RTL 4 bought the rights for broadcasting Holland's Got Talent from SBS 6 and created together with pioneer John De Mol their own talent show The Voice of Holland in the Autumn of that same year. The Voice of Holland became a huge hit on Dutch Television with ratings around 3 million viewers every Friday Night. In 2012 yet another new talent show started, Beat the Best. RTL 4 also owns the rights for the soaps As the World Turns and The Bold and the Beautiful. In January 2007, RTL sold the rights for B&B to SBS6, but bought the rights back in December 2010. With more money and space to buy other TV shows, RTL 4 bought the rights for the first season of the successful drama show Brothers & Sisters and took over CSI: Miami from sister channel RTL 5. Television host Peter van der Vorst has been appointed Content and Marketing Director of RTL Nederland. He will start on 1 March 2019. Radio From May 1991 until September 2006, the station has had several accompanying radio stations, such as RTL 4 Radio, RTL Radio, RTL Rock Radio, Happy RTL, and RTL FM. Between June 2007 and 1 January 2012 RTL Nederland owned Radio 538, one of the largest radio stations of the Netherlands. Programming Hits on RTL 4 include the RTL Nieuws, Editie NL, RTL Boulevard, Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden and the Saturday night family show Ik Hou Van Holland. Talent shows are also very popular on RTL 4, such as Idols, X Factor, Holland's Got Talent, Supernanny and The Voice of Holland. RTL 4 also owns the rights for American TV series. Domestic *5 Uur Live ( ) *De 12 van Oldenheim ( ) *All You Need Is Love *BankGiro Miljonairs (Based on the British game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) *Beste kijkers ( ) *The Big Music Quiz (Dutch version of the Australian The Big Music Quiz) *Bouwval gezocht (Based on the British TV show Property Ladder) *Een dubbeltje op zijn kant ( , a reality show in which people are helped with paying off their debts.) *Editie NL ( ) *Eigen Huis & Tuin ( ) *Eén tegen 100 *Familie Kruys ( ) *Een goed stel hersens ( ) *Goede tijden, slechte tijden ( , Soap series) *Help, mijn man is Klusser! ( , a reality show in which women are taken out of the mess created by their partner. The partners started to renovate their house, but did not finish it, leaving their wives in the mess.) *Het zijn net mensen ( ) *Holland's Got Talent *House Vision *Idols (revived on RTL 5 for the fifth series) *Ik Hou Van Holland ( ) *Judas (Dutch Crime drama TV series about Dutch criminal Willem Holleeder) *Koffietijd ( ) *Love is in the Air! *Married at First Sight *Meisje van Plezier ( ) *Miljoenenjacht *Oh, Wat Een Jaar *Ontvoerd ( ) *Het Perfecte Plaatje ( ) *Praat Nederlands Met Me *RTL Boulevard *RTL Late Night *RTL Nieuws ( ) *RTL Weer ( ) *RTL Woonmagazine *Telekids (1989-1999) *Uitstel van Executie *Van der Vorst ziet sterren *Verslaafd! ( ) *The Voice of Holland *The Voice Kids *The Voice Senior *Weet Ik Veel *De Weg Naar Het Miljoen *Wie ben ik? ( ) *X Factor *Zomer met Art *De Zwakste Schakel (Based on the British game show The Weakest Link) Imported series and shows currently shown *The Bold and the Beautiful *Dr. Phil *McLeod's Daughters *The Repair Shop Imported series and shows previously shown *21 Jump Street *Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei *As the World Turns *Babylon 5 *Baywatch *The Blacklist (series 1 and 2) (moved to RTL 5) *The Blacklist: Redemption *Bones *Boston Legal *Broadchurch *Brothers & Sisters (rest of series 1) *C/o The Bartons *Covert Affairs *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation *CSI: Cyber (series 1) (shown on RTL 5 for series 2) *CSI: Miami *CSI: NY *Dallas *Dangerous Curves *Days of Our Lives *The Finder *Game of Thrones *Geraldo *The Good Doctor *Hill Street Blues *Joan of Arcadia *Kidnapped *Las Vegas (series 1-4) (moved to RTL 5) *Late Show with David Letterman *Law & Order: LA'' *Living with Fran *Married to the Kellys *Mistresses *Mysterious Ways *The Oprah Winfrey Show *Parenthood *Property Ladder *Reba *Saved by the Bell *The Secret Millionaire (UK version) *Secrets & Lies *Shark *The Simpsons (series 1-3) *Smallville *Still Standing *Suits *Supernanny (US version) *Three Wishes *Twin Peaks *Unforgettable *Voyagers! *Women's Murder Club *The X-Files Children's shows previously shown *2 Stupid Dogs *The Adventures of Blinky Bill *Aladdin *Animaniacs *Animorphs *Are You Afraid of the Dark? *Biker Mice from Mars *Bionic Six *Captain Planet and the Planeteers *C.O.P.S. *Darkwing Duck *Goof Troop *James Bond Jr. *The Legend of Prince Valiant *The Little Mermaid *Maple Town Story *Mighty Morphin Power Rangers *My Little Pony *My Secret Identity *The Raccoons *The Ren & Stimpy Show *The Smurfs *Spider-Woman *The Yogi Bear Show Notable television hosts * Vivienne van den Assem (2018-present) * Carlo Boszhard (1993–present) * Robert ten Brink (2006–present) * Daphne Bunskoek (2005-2008, 2013, 2018-present) * Pepijn Crone (2015-present) * Marieke Elsinga (2016-present) * Beau van Erven Dorens (1998-2005, 2007-2009, 2015-present) * Natasja Froger (2010-present) * Angela Groothuizen (2009–present) * John van den Heuvel (2001-present) * Jan de Hoop (1989-present) * Luuk Ikink (2013-present) * Chantal Janzen (2005-2006, 2011-present) * Nicolette Kluijver (2014-present) * Martijn Krabbé (1995–present) * Pernille La Lau (2006-2018, 2010-present) * Paul de Leeuw (2013-2014, 2018-present) * Marc van der Linden (2003-present) * Bridget Maasland (2007-2012, 2016-present) * Ruben Nicolai (2015-present) * Antoin Peeters (2002-present) * Art Rooijakkers (2018-present) * Loretta Schrijver (1989-2007, 2010-present) * Katja Schuurman (2018-present) * Gaston Starreveld (1990-present) * Humberto Tan (2007-2012, 2013-present) * Caroline Tensen (1989-1999, 2019-present) * Quinty Trustfull (2006, 2008-present) * Thomas Verhoef (2005-present) * Peter R. de Vries (1995-1998, 2006-2010, 2013-present) * Frits Wester (1994-present) * John Williams (1995-present) Former television hosts * Patty Brard (1989-1990, 1994, 2011-2013, 2018) * Nicolette van Dam (2008–2015) * Wendy van Dijk (2006–2019) * Gordon (2007–2018) * Olcay Gulsen (2016-2019) * Mariska Hulscher * Twan Huys (2018-2019) * Jeroen van Koningsbrugge (2008-2019) * Char Margolis (2002–2008, 2010) * Linda de Mol (2007–2019) * Irene Moors (1989–2015) * Derek Ogilvie (2007–2013) * Rudolph van Veen (2000–2005, 2008–2011) * Peter van der Vorst (2006-2019) * Merel Westrik (2014-2019) Teletext RTL 4 offered a teletext service which stopped on 1 April 2017. The pages 888/889 are still available for subtitles. References External links *RTL 4 Category:Television channels in the Netherlands Category:RTL Nederland Category:1989 establishments in the Netherlands Category:Television channels and stations established in 1989